Cross Dressing Equals Fun?
by RamenNoodlesXD
Summary: It all started with a secret. A secret that Johnny would do anything to keep. Now he learns just how sadistic Greaser girls can be. Meanwhile, Darry is amused. This story is currently discontinued; PM me if you want to adopt it.
1. Chapter 1

**Cross-Dressing Equals Fun?**

**By: **Ramen

**Disclaimer:** Alright, I'll only say this once, so listen up good- I do not own the wonderful work of art known as _The Outsiders_, S.E. Hinton does!

**Warnings: **Contains slash, obviously, and also cross-dressing, Dallas Winston's potty mouth (and everyone else's, for that matter), and everything else that would generally make normal people uncomfortable. This is also AU- that's right, Johnny and Dally aren't dead! If you're annoyed at me for playing 'God', then that's your problem, not mine. Read at your own discretion, guys!

**A Little Note:** Alright, I'm not trying to garner any sympathy here, but this is my first venture into The Outsiders fandom. If I get something wrong in here, I'm willing to make corrections if you guys point them out. Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

**[Chapter One]**

_That Damned Journal_

Johnny Cade wasn't exactly known for his 'aggressive' personality. Hell, he was known for quite the opposite- in school, the girls giggled and pointed at him only because he managed to pull off the "wild but adorable" look, and, let's face it, girls were _suckers_ for the sweet, sensitive, shy types.

Johnny didn't like his reputation that much- just because he was smaller than everyone else and was as quiet as a mouse _and_ looked like a kicked puppy didn't mean that he didn't possess a backbone!

Well… _somewhat _of a backbone.

If only he knew how to say no; but, then again, it was always hard to say no to somebody, especially girls… unless you were Dallas Winston.

Let's start from the very beginning, shall we?

* * *

_Johnny's P.O.V._

Something hurt.

_'Well, duh!'_ that snarky voice in my head snapped, _'Of course something would hurt, after the beating that bastard gave you last night!'_

I winced, feeling the pain in my abdomen again- damn, it felt like the old man broke a rib or two, and _then _some.

Stifling a groan, I sat up and ran shaky fingers through my hair. It was greasier than usual, and Lord knows how long it's been since I've dared to take a shower at home.

I didn't wanna go the Curtis house, either. Despite Ponyboy always telling me that I was welcome there anytime I needed something, I still felt like a burden every time I asked to crash on their couch, or eat their food, or take a 'decent' shower.

I knew Pony worried a lot about me. Not to sound arrogant, but I knew the whole gang cared about me, too, and sometimes I wonder… why did they even bother with me in the first place?

Sure, I was grateful for everything they did for me, but what I didn't understand was _why? _Why take care of a useless nobody like me, who preferred to listen instead of talk, chose to blend into the background instead of being the center of attention?

I shook my head, the beginnings of a migraine starting to form. Thinking too much always did that to me. Or maybe it was because my head hit the table when my old man shoved me down last night. I could barely tell the difference anymore.

As I reached for the pack of Kools stashed in my jacket pocket (courtesy of Two-Bit), I felt something wet. I pulled my hand out, and my eyes got round when I saw it was smeared dark red. I lifted up my jacket and shirt, and saw a nasty-lookin' gash that started from my side and ended just above the top of my jeans.

I shivered, realizing why it hurt so bad. I didn't even know dad had pulled a blade on me- that argument with mom must've been pretty bad yesterday, or maybe he had drunk the hard liquor again; that always made him riled up and itching to deal as much damage to the house (and me) as possible.

With fumbling hands, I pulled a cancer stick outta my pack and lit it, rolling it between my lips and savoring the taste of the smoke on my tongue. A cigarette sure helped me calm down, and right now, I could use all the comforting I could get.

I was sick of this- sick of getting picked on at school, sick of my folks hitting me and screaming and arguing with each other, sick of getting jumped by the Socs…

"Johnnycake? My God, what the hell happened to ya?" I blinked, and looked up to see Ponyboy's shocked face.

"Oh, hey Pony," I greeted, an uneven smile on my lips, acting like I _wasn't _bleeding out on the pavement like a stuck pig. Ponyboy dropped down on his knees, fast as lightning, and lifted up my shirt to see the bloody wound that seeped through the fabric.

"Damn it, Johnny…" he cursed, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressing it against the gash to stem the bleeding. His face was pale and creased with concern. "Why didn't you come to my house, Darry could'a patched this up in no time… God, there's… there's so much _blood_…"

He kept on rambling worriedly, even as we were making our way to his house. It was a little slow, since I had to lean on Ponyboy for support, but eventually, we made it. Darry, Soda and Steve were at work, as usual, and Two-Bit and Dally weren't around, so the house was empty.

"Here Johnny, drink this. I'll go getcha some bandages…" Pony murmured shakily, handing me a glass of chocolate milk, before making his way to the bathroom to find the first-aid kit.

I sipped at the sweet liquid, realizing how thirsty- and hungry- I was. I set the milk down on the table in front of the couch, took off my blood-stained jacked and shirt, and pulled something out of my back pocket.

It was a small, old-looking notebook- my journal, which I always kept with me at all times.

Just a few weeks ago, while I was in one of my crazy 'I'm gonna kill myself' moods, Pony suggested that I keep a diary, a journal to write all my thoughts down. Said it should help calm me down whenever I was feelin' upset, and, believe it or not, it actually worked. Ponyboy wasn't called smart for nothin', I suppose.

_November 4, 1965_

I wrote quickly, my handwriting resembling what Ponyboy liked to call 'chicken scratch'.

_Boy, my parents were sure rough with me today, rougher than usual… The old man in particular. Not sure how long I can take this. If he stabs me again, I might be in some serious trouble… But I still got the gang with me, and that's all that matters. They're the only ones who've ever cared for me, the ones who showed me that there's still some good in the world, despite all the bad stuff that happens around here…_

And I ended it there for today, shoving the journal back into my pocket before Ponyboy could see it.

Didn't want _anyone_ to see it 'cept for me; you see, if anyone, specially _Ponyboy_ read the first entry, I'd be called a freak of nature for the rest of my life.

The first time I wrote in my journal, I was feelin' strange- the kind of strange that boys normally felt for girls that they liked, but instead of a girl, I was feelin' it for _Ponyboy_. Crazy, huh? If anyone ever found out about this secret, I probably wouldn't be accepted by nobody anymore, not even the gang. I didn't want that to happen, so I thought it was best to keep quiet and just write about it in my journal, where it was safe.

"Here Johnny, lemme clean that for ya." My head snapped up at the sound of Ponyboy's voice. He was carrying an armful of bandages, peroxide, and cotton balls.

I winced, gritting my teeth in pain as Pony pressed the peroxide against my open wound, coloring the cotton balls red as soon as it touched the blood.

Before I knew it, the painful part was over. Pony wrapped it up with a whole roll of bandage, patting my now-clean wound gently when he was done.

"Thanks Pone," I murmured gratefully, feelings my eyes growing heavy. Gosh, I was tired… All that blood-loss must've drained me, literally.

"No problem, Johnnycake," he smiled, making my insides feel all funny. Damn it, I wasn't _supposed_ to feel like this, but with Ponyboy, I just couldn't help it.

Suddenly feelin' the need to get away from him, I pulled my clothes back on and stood up, despite his protests to lie back down.

"I'm gonna go talk to Dally," I lied, shoving my hands in my pockets.

He looked like he was about to tell me to stay, but decided against it. I could tell that he was gonna be late for school.

"Well… alright Johnny, but be careful, ya hear? Promise you'll be careful," Pony demanded, worry coloring his tone.

I gave him a reassuring grin. "I promise," I said, making Ponyboy grin, too.

We went outside, and Ponyboy shivered from the cold. He was gonna be late, and I would've offered him my jacket, but it was still blood-stained. So, he had to brave the weather with only that flimsy black t-shirt he had on.

"Catch ya later Johnnycake," he said, waving at me as he ran down the sidewalk.

"Have fun," I yelled back. Boy, that kid could run _fast_. When he was only a small dot in the distance, I turned around and headed for Buck Merril's place. Even though I was lying when I said it to Pony, I really _did_ wanna talk to Dally right now. Doin' that always made me think twice 'bout killin' myself. I didn't know exactly why, but I didn't try to think about it too much- sometimes it was just better to _not_ think about some things at all.

Suddenly, I heard something moving in the bushes. I tensed up in no time, already reaching in my back pocket for my switch blade. I looked around, holding the blade in front of me, trying to look tough like one of those guys in those movies Ponyboy liked so much.

"Whoa, steady there…" I turned around so fast, I almost got whiplash. There was a blonde girl, standing nervously behind me and- Glory hallelujah- she had my journal!

"You, uh, dropped this back there and… Gee, I had no idea you were like that at all!" she blurted out bluntly, her blue eyes wide, making my face heat up like a tomato. I lowered the blade, my hands starting to tremble.

Oh God, she had read the first entry… I felt the color instantly drain from my face at that realization. _Now_ what was I gonna do?

"You're Johnny, right? I heard about ya from Two-Bit… Oh right, I forgot, I'm Kathy. You musta heard about me, right?"

I nodded dumbly, my eyes still fixed on that journal. Gulping, I began to plead, "Y-Yer not gonna tell nobody about that, r-right?" I cursed myself for stuttering; way to sound convincing, huh? "P-Please, don't tell anybody..."

Kathy's polite smile slowly turned into a mischievous grin, and right then and there, I now remembered that this was _Two-Bit's_ girl we were talking about. Plain begging wouldn't sway _any_ Greaser girl, not by a long shot.

"Well, it depends… If you're willing to do something for me and my girl friends," she winked, waving that cursed little notebook back and forth in a taunting manner.

I swallowed thickly, and that wound on my stomach started aching something fierce.

"A-Alright…" I stammered nervously, feeling sweat starting to form on my eyebrows.

"Great!" she squealed, clapping her hands with happiness. "Follow me, hon!"

Without saying anything, I followed her to wherever we were going, feeling anxious beyond belief.

God, I knew I wasn't going to like this. Not one bit.

* * *

**Author's Ending Note:** Phew, poor Johnny! Judging from the title, it's obvious what's gonna happen now… Oh man, now I feel bad!

Anyway, I hope I didn't screw this up _too_ badly- if I did, however, and you guys spotted errors or something, feel free to tell me so I can revise where necessary. Thanks a bunch for reading my story, feel free to drop a review or something before you go! *Points down at the review button*


	2. Chapter 2

**Cross-Dressing Equals Fun?**

By: Ramen

**Disclaimer: **Last time I checked, my birth certificate does not identify me as S.E. Hinton; so sadly, I do _not _own _The Outsiders_, or anything else that sounds familiar in here!

**Warnings:** Check out Chapter One for the warnings!

**A Little Note: **Gosh, I sure hope I don't make any of the characters _too_ OOC. And sorry if I get anything wrong about the Greaser girls- I've been trying to research about them, but all the information is a little vague, so I'm kinda making up their appearances and personalities as I go. Well, enjoy reading about Johnny's transformation! [Cackles] OH, and uh, the events with Sandy didn't happen _yet_- I don't know whether I'll make them happen or not, but we'll just have to wait and see…

* * *

**[Chapter Two]**

_Making Juliet Callison_

At this point, Johnny Cade was _scared_. He was scared shitless, actually. What exactly was Kathy going to do with him? Tons of scenarios played out in his mind, each more horrifying than the last. As he walked beside the blonde girl, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible, he thought that, whatever it was, he would somehow end up losing his dignity in the end. He shuddered, hands twitching for a much-needed cigarette. Meanwhile, Kathy thought deviously to herself, 'This is going to be _so_ much fun…'

* * *

_Johnny's P.O.V._

I don't like the looks that Kathy girl is givin' me. Reminds me of one of those movies I saw with Ponyboy once, where a girl was walkin' down the road, innocent as can be, then a shady-lookin' man would follow her in the shadows, with that same strange look that I was gettin' right now. Soon after that, the man had stabbed her, left her to bleed to death on the sidewalk 'til the fuzz came and found her. I swallowed, my hands were shaky again, and my heart was beating too fast. I _really_ shouldn't have thought about that movie…

"Oh c'mon Johnny, don't look so scared! We ain't gonna bite cha!" Kathy giggled, and _that_ made me get all tense again.

"'We'? Who's 'we'?" I asked, panic making my voice high-pitched. I didn't know that many Greaser girls, but from what I've heard, they were like male Greasers, except more... what's that word, _feminine_. They cussed, drank, smoked, wore too much make-up, and they weren't afraid to get into a brawl once in a while, either. It was bad enough that I was scared of girls in general, now I had to deal with girls who were gonna do something that could possibly humiliate me. Or worse.

Kathy rolled her eyes, still smiling like a maniac. "Evie, Sylvia, Angela and Sandy, silly! Gosh, you act like we're going to kill you or something!"

Her eyes flashed a bit at that 'kill' part, and I barely stopped myself from turning around and running for the hills.

Dear Lord, did I even _want_ to go through with this? I wished Dally or Two-Bit or Steve would appear out of nowhere and bail me outta this situation, but the gang seemed to be busy today. Was my secret really worth going through all of this? Would it be better to just let Kathy tell everybody that I was queer for Ponyboy?

'No!' that voice inside my head appeared again, angrier than before. 'Nobody else can know about this! You'll be labeled crazy for the rest of your life, get sent to the loony bin or somethin'! Just go along with it, ya wuss!'

I gulped again, shaking my head to get rid of that voice. Well, whatever they were planning, it couldn't be _that_ bad… right?

"We're here! This is my house, by the way," I blinked, snapping back to reality at the sound of Kathy's scarily excited voice. Looking up, I saw an average one-story house. It was almost the same as the Curtis' house, except the windows were cleaner and the lawn was actually green instead of brownish green.

"Come on Johnny, they're waiting for us!" she urged, practically _pushing_ me into her house. In no time, I was dragged to the living room, which was full of girls.

Oh boy.

"Hey everyone, I found him! He agreed to it!" Kathy was practically jumping up and down with excitement by now. I stayed quiet, sweat starting to trail down my neck from nervousness. Everyone was staring at me, sizing me up, studying me like I was some sort of animal in a zoo.

"_Him_? Kathy, of all people, why _him_?" a pretty girl with dirty blonde hair spoke up; her voice sounded unsure, doubtful, and for a second, I was hoping that they would change their mind about using me for their little 'experiment' or whatever.

"But Evie, his eyes are so _big_! This could so work if we did it right!" Or not. I turned towards another girl, and right away, I knew that it was Sandy I was looking at. Soda had introduced me to her before, what seemed like a million years ago, but I could never forget those china blue eyes of hers.

"He's cute, too! Hoo-wee, we're gonna have a lot of fun with him, girls!" That voice sounded _real_ familiar. Sylvia was sitting on one of the arm chairs beside the couch, grinning from ear to ear like a fox.

"Wh-What are ya gonna do with me?" I asked, backing away slightly, my eyes getting bigger and bigger.

I didn't like the looks of this, not at all- oh man, if only I hadn't written in that stupid journal, I wouldn't even be in this mess…!

My question wasn't answered. Before I could even blink, Evie and Sylvia came out of nowhere, grabbed my shoulders and dragged me upstairs, with Angela Shepard, Curly and Tim's younger sister, and Sandy and Kathy following behind us.

"Lock the door, don't let 'im escape," Sylvia commanded. Sandy threw me a pitying look before turning the lock on the doorknob, cutting off my way to freedom.

Strangely, the first thing I thought of when I was shoved into the room was that this was the first time I'd actually _been_ in a girl's room before. It wasn't like I imagined it- instead of pink paint and a million posters of handsome movie stars on the walls, it was painted white and barely had anything on it. Huh.

"So what should we start with? The hair or the eyes?" Kathy asked excitedly, looking like a kid in a candy store.

I flinched when Angela came up to me and took a sniff of my shoulder. With her nose scrunched up, she said, "Ugh, let him take a shower first before we do anything! You been sleepin' outside or something, kid?"

My face heated up at that and without thinking, I took a sniff of myself. Whew, I really_ did_ need a shower; two days of sleeping in garbage was bound to make me smell bad.

"Here, I'll guard him to make sure he doesn't escape through the window," Sylvia volunteered, popping her gum lazily as she led me to the bathroom.

I stood in front of the shower, blushing as I took my clothes off- even though Sylvia was turned around, I still didn't feel comfortable with being in the same room with her.

When I was about to take my jeans off, I looked down at the bandaged wound from earlier, and saw that a little bit of blood was soaking through it already.

Grimacing, I peeled the bandages off, hissing quietly at the pain. I swear, the next time my old man smacks me around this bad, I would _really_ run away, and for good.

I stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on. I almost groaned out loud- God that felt good, especially on my sore muscles. I washed my hair with some sort of strawberry-scented shampoo, and scrubbed away all the grime and dirt that had collected behind my ears and other parts of my body.

Once I was finished, I dried myself with a clean towel, making sure to avoid touching the wound. I pulled my boxers and jeans on, then looked down at the gash again. It was nasty-lookin', I wasn't going to lie. It was raw and looked like it was about to start bleeding again; I knew it would take a while for this to heal.

"What's taking you so long, kid?" Sylvia asked impatiently, smacking her gum at the same time.

"Uh… I kinda need help…" I answered sheepishly. She turned around, and her mascara-lined eyes grew bigger when she saw the wound.

"Jesus kid, what happened to ya?" She asked absently, shuffling through the medicine cabinet to look for bandages.

I bit my lip, deciding whether or not I should tell her. In the end, I chose to tell her anyway.

"My dad… he…" I trailed off, not wanting to say anymore. Looks like Sylvia got it, because a bit of sympathy flashed in her eyes. Of course, it disappeared in a second.

"Well, your old man must be a dirty sunuvabitch if he did this much damage to his own son," she cursed, and for a minute, I thought Dally was the one talking instead of her.

I didn't say anything while she was redressing my wound. When she was done, I pulled my shirt on and said a quiet "Thanks," She only nodded, before leading me back to Kathy's room.

"There, that's _much_ better," Evie said, looking pleased. "He looks finer now without all that grease and dirt on him!"

"I think we should start on his eyes first," Sandy suggested, staring hard at me. I blushed underneath her gaze, feeling more uncomfortable than before.

"Be right back then!" Kathy grinned, going into her closet to get something.

I stared into space for a minute, thinking about what the gang was doing right now and if they noticed I was gone. They would never suspect that I was here, so I guess all hope of them bailing me outta here was gone.

I snapped outta my daze when I heard a few giggles. I furrowed my eyebrows, staring at the five girls in front of me. They stared back, looking as excited as Ponyboy in the library.

"Wh-What?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably against the wall.

"Now Johnny, let us explain to you what's gonna happen," Sylvia drawled. I almost yelped when she grabbed my shoulder and made me sit down in front of Kathy's mirror. Kathy came back at that moment, holding an armful of tissues and other containers that I hadn't seen before. All five girls were surrounding me now, and after Kathy set down all her stuff in front of the mirror, she dug through a drawer and took out a bunch of make-up. I stared at them, feeling more and more confused by the second. What in the name of…?

"We're goin' to make ya into a girl," Angela smirked in the mirror, and my jaw nearly dropped outta its hinges.

"_Huh_?" I shouted in disbelief, mouth still open wide. Were these girls _crazy_? They must be, I thought to myself, normal girls wouldn't do this to a guy!

I stood up, about to say that I was leaving, but Sylvia put her hand on my shoulder and forced me to sit back down.

"Do you want your _secret _to come out, Johnny?" Kathy smiled evilly, holding my journal out again.

"No!" I yelled desperately, my eyes wider than before. Oh my God, there really was no way out of this. I needed to go along with this craziness, or else I'd be shunned by everybody for the rest of my life!

"Well then, let's get on with it!" It was Evie who spoke that time. The girls started uncapping some stuff, I had no idea what they were, and I didn't want to know anyway. I almost felt like crying or screaming or yelling, but I knew that wasn't gonna do any good. I could only pray that this would all be over soon.

Goodbye, dignity. It was nice knowin' you.

* * *

_Third Person P.O.V._

Sandy felt a bit guilty about all this. Johnny was a good kid, she was Soda's kid brother's best friend after all, and he looked so innocent, too. Briefly, she wondered what Kathy did to convince him to do this- whatever it was, it must've been really drastic.

'Poor guy,' she thought, staring at his scared, wide eyes and trembling shoulders. Those eyes really were gorgeous, though; it wouldn't be that hard to make him look like a girl.

"Ooh, I bet this color would make his eyes stand out!" Kathy giggled cheerfully, brandishing some sort of black eye shadow.

"But that's boring! Let's try this one," Evie chimed in, holding out a blue-colored eye shadow.

After much arguing over which color would compliment Johnny's eyes the best, they all eventually settled for a bold light brown shade.

Throughout all of this, poor Johnny tried to convince himself that this was just a nightmare, and when he woke up, he'd just laugh about it and forget it ever happened.

Unfortunately, that idea was too good to be true.

First, they put a bit of foundation on his face to cover the nasty scar on his cheek. Next, they applied the shadow thickly on his eye lids, and then came a ton of eye liner and mascara.

"Hold still man, we don't wanna mess up," Angela ordered impatiently, wiping up a bit of stray eye liner. Johnny kept squirming uncomfortably, twitching his eyes reflexively at the strange sensations. How could girls deal with this _every day_? He thought, resisting the urge to wipe away all that eye gunk off of his face.

Next, they put on the pale pink lip gloss, accentuating Johnny's full lips perfectly, and to complete the look, they patted a bit of rosy powder on his cheeks.

"Oh my God, he looks so hot!" Evie laughed, cupping her hands to light her weed. Johnny blushed, obviously not liking all the attention that was being given to him. Plus, his face felt all heavy- he even found himself missing all the grime and dirt that used to cover it.

Sylvia scowled, grabbing a weed of her own and lighting it. Puffing out a bit of smoke between her lips, she looked Johnny over, making a noise of approval. "We did good, girls," she smirked slightly.

Kathy and Sandy giggled, obviously pleased with their handiwork. "Okay, now let's do his hair," Angela spoke up, grabbing something else out of one of the bigger drawers. It was a long, dark brown wig, perfectly combed, and with long bangs on the front that parted to the left.

Johnny almost let out a whimper; how the hell were they so _prepared_ for this?

"I-I still don't understand why you're all doing this!" he cried indignantly as they fitted the wig on his head. After all, a semblance of manly pride was still left in him, and he was willing to struggle for it any way he could. Sylvia shushed him, putting a finger to his pink lips as they adjusted the wig even more to make it look realistic.

"Okay, now for the clothes- we need something for his 'boobs', though," Evie said thoughtfully, looking around the room for the aforementioned items.

Johnny nearly gagged on his own spit, his face turning so red that it almost glowed. No. No. No freaking way.

"We could stuff _socks_ in his bra," Sandy suggested helpfully, though her own face was red, too.

"Problem solved!" Kathy guffawed- she was having so much fun with this, Johnny thought, she was just like Two-Bit!

The five girls rummaged through the closet, throwing random articles of clothing out on the bed, and Johnny contemplated running away while they were pre-occupied. The thought of Ponyboy's disgusted face flashed in his mind and he sighed, willing himself to stay in his seat.

Now Johnny knew what it felt like to be a doll- outfit after outfit was tried on, scrapped, taken under consideration. Many arguments broke out over which clothes would fit his body shape better, which ones would compliment his make-up, etc.

"But these pants will make his ass look curvier!"

"Yeah, but _these_ will make his legs look longer!"

"Who the hell wants long legs! Guys go for the ass first, anyway!" Johnny almost slapped his forehead from frustration and embarrassment.

He had tried on _every_ pair of (unbelievably tight) pants and skirts in Kathy's closet, along with millions of low cut, breath-stifling tops. And if he saw _one more_ pair of high heels, he was going to snap them in half. Those things hurt like hell, damn it!

After much debating and pillow-throwing, the girls finally decided on an outfit that worked out for all of them. It consisted of a tight pair of black pants (which hugged both his ass _and_ his legs, thank you very much), cute high heels, a low-cut pink tank top (apparently, Johnny was 'good at working (fake) cleavage'), and to top it all off, he wore a black leather jacket.

For the finishing touch, they doused his 'hair' with hairspray and teased it a bit, giving it more volume.

"Done!" Kathy chirped, giving Johnny's hair one last tease with her fingers. Johnny coughed a bit, eyes watering at the heavy smell of hairspray lingering in the air.

Both Angela and Sylvia wolf-whistled, circling around Johnny to survey their work.

"The guys won't be able to keep their paws off'a him!" Evie snickered teasingly, winking at Johnny, much to his embarrassment.

Sandy only sighed, a small smile adorning her bright pink lips. She walked towards Johnny and put a hand on his shoulder. The poor guy looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff. "Wanna see yourself in the mirror?" she giggled quietly, her voice soft. Johnny sighed wearily in reply.

"I guess so," he acquiesced, letting Sandy lead him to the mirror once more. What he saw made his breath hitch in his throat.

'Is that really _me_…?' he thought with disbelief, reaching a hand up to touch his face. He couldn't believe that that was _his_ face staring back in the mirror- it didn't look anything like him!

After a few moments of silence, he turned to the five girls behind him and asked, "How… how long do I have to stay like this?"

"A few weeks, tops." Sylvia replied, taking a long drag from her second cigarette. Johnny gulped fearfully. A few _weeks_? That seemed like forever to him. He bit his lip out of nervous habit, but instantly regretted it as soon as he tasted waxy lipstick.

All of a sudden, a thought occurred to Johnny. Now that they made him dress up like a girl, what _else_ would he have to do?

"Wait wait, so… What exactly will I have to do in those few weeks?" he stammered nervously, hoping for the best and fearing for the worst.

"Oh don't look like that, kid- we won't force you to sleep around with the guys, if _that's_ what you're thinking," Sylvia scoffed. Mentally, Johnny breathed a sigh of relief.

"All ya need to do is… y'know, hang 'round and pretend to be a girl, nothin' special," Kathy shrugged.

"… Really?" Johnny couldn't help but blurt out. All that trouble, just for him to hang around and pretend to be a girl? One part of him was hugely relieved, but the other part was pissed off over the fact that he had thrown away every inch of his manliness just to do _that_.

"We'll need to come up with a fake name for 'im, though," Angela spoke up suddenly, playing around with the eyeliner pencil in boredom.

"Hmm, J, a girl name that starts with J…" Evie hummed, deep in thought.

"Jane? Jasmine? Jenny…?"

"Wait, Jenny's too obvious. We don't anyone knowin' who he _really_ is," Sylvia countered logically, twirling a strand of blonde hair between her fingers.

"Mmm… How 'bout Juliet? Y'know, like in that lame-ass play?" Everybody snorted with amusement at that.

"Fine, we could go with that," Angela agreed, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards. "So kid, if anyone asks, your name is Juliet, got it?"

Johnny nodded dizzily. He was _really_ going to do this. Really.

'Oh man… I _knew _I should've stayed at the house…'

* * *

**Ending Note:** Sorry if the quality of this chapter sucked- I was in a hurry to finish it, so… yeah. You won't believe how many articles I've read about how Greaser girls dressed, did their make-up and hair and stuff. I'm actually quite relieved that this part of the story is over! Well, feel free to drop a review before you leave. Oh, and vote on my poll, too; it's on my profile, and it's about who Johnny will be paired with!


	3. Chapter 3

**Cross-Dressing Equals Fun?**

**By: **Ramen

**Disclaimer: **Oh come on now, do you _really_ think that I'm awesome/original enough to come up with the Outsiders? Nope, I didn't think so, either!

**Warnings:** Hell, you already know what they are!

**A Little Note:** Okay, I am well-aware that Chapter Two sucked banana milkshakes, but I'll _try_ to make it up with this chapter. I'm open to suggestions, guys, and remember to vote on that poll in my profile! You guys have the power to decide which pairing I will do in this story! [Crickets] Uh, anyway, enjoy!

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**[Chapter Three]**

_You Gotta Know How to Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk, Man_

_Ponyboy's P.O.V._

The cold, chilly wind pierced the bare skin of my arms as I stepped out of the school's front doors. I shivered, rubbing them in the hopes of getting some warmth in my body. Why didn't I grab a jacket before I left my house? I mean, I knew I was running late, but…

Oh, right, _now_ I remember. I was helping Johnny. I winced at that memory, remembering the faint skipping of my heartbeat when I saw him sitting down on the concrete this morning. The life was literally bleeding out of him through a gash on his stomach, and he just sat there, smoking a weed and acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.

I kicked a small rock on the sidewalk, feeling the familiar burn of anger blooming in my chest. I always felt this way whenever I saw Johnny with a fresh bruise or a cut on his face, no doubt from his abusive, undeserving wreck of a father. I've never hated anybody in my life as much as I've hated him, a complete stranger only known through fearful words and scared eyes, and for me, that was saying a lot.

Snapping out of my daze, I looked up and saw that the sky was slowly turning into a cooler shade of blue. The sun was halfway below the horizon, steadily sinking in an ocean of pink, purple, and orange. With a muffled curse, I sped up a little, knowing that I'd get my head bitten off by Darry if I was even _close_ to being one minute late on curfew.

I had to stay behind in school today to make up a math test. To be honest, I was seven kinds of distracted for the whole day… well, even more than usual. The reason?

Johnny Cade.

I swear, I'm going to speed my way to an early grave just from worrying about him. Call it a motherly instinct or whatever, but I really _did_ worry about him sometimes, and his dick-head of a father certainly wasn't helping matters, either.

Briefly, I wondered if he was okay. At the risk of sounding like a full-blown hypocrite, Johnny had a tendency to run into trouble more times than you could count on your fingers, whether it be an accidental run-in with a couple of hoods in the lot or rowdy Socs looking for a poor Greaser to terrorize. That's why everybody worried about him; he didn't earn the nickname of being the gang's 'pet' for nothing, after all.

Lucky for me, I still had five minutes to spare on curfew when I trudged through the front door of my house, carelessly tossing my book-bag on the couch.

"Ow! 'Ey, watch where yer throwin' things, kid!" That was definitely Two-Bit's voice. Turns out that throwing stuff on the couch without looking was a bad idea, since it only resulted in hitting somebody in the face.

"Oops. My bad," I grimaced apologetically at him, and his annoyed look melted into a huge grin and twinkling gray eyes. Boy, I was lucky it was Two-Bit I had just socked in the face with a backpack and not Dally. I didn't even wanna _think_ of what could have happened then.

"What's wrong? Cat got yer brain?" Two-Bit asked teasingly, taking another huge sip of his daily beer. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the couch, sitting down beside him and facing the TV. Surprisingly, it wasn't Mickey Mouse parading through the screen doing cartwheels- it was some sorta cheesy game show or whatever.

"Sorta. I've kinda been worryin' 'bout Johnny all day," I admitted, leaning back into the aged and frayed fabric. It smelled like Soda's cologne and that 'house_'_ smell.

Two-Bit raised a questioning eyebrow at me, and I opened my mouth to explain this morning's events to him.

Sometime during the start of my explanation, the rest of the gang started piling in; Soda and Steve ran into the house, punching each other and doing various manly things, as usual. Darry soon followed, and I _swear_ that I could see a few age lines on his face. Musta been a tough day for him. The only ones missing right now was were Johnny and Dally; for the latter, that wasn't really a strange occurrence- we all knew that he had got mixed up in all kinds of trouble from time to time, every Greaser does, especially him, but for the latter, it was a cause for concern.

At the end of my explanation, a heavy silence hung in the air. Nobody was really surprised at the fact that Johnny's old man had actually pulled a blade on him (God knows he's done worse things before), but that didn't mean we weren't worried about him.

"Jesus, even _my_ old man doesn't rough me up that bad," Steve murmured, shaking his head in disgust. Soda's face was creased with concern, and I knew he was as worried about Johnny as I was. So was Darry, but he looked stressed enough already, there wasn't any room for concern on his expression.

Two-Bit swore, his gray eyes blazing. "I swear, if I ever get my hands on his dad, I'd…" he broke his sentence off, a look of hatred on his face.

I agreed with him whole-heartedly; deep down inside, I bet every one of us would like the opportunity to do _that_. But of course, we couldn't; Johnny, for some unfathomable reason, cared about his parents, despite everything that they put him through. Oh sure, he wanted to run away from them, but beneath that, there was still hope, hope that his parents really _did_ care about him and would see the error of their ways. Sometimes, it made me want to smack some sense into him, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. They didn't deserve his faith.

"Where is the kid right now? Is he okay?" Darry enquired worriedly, lounging around in his favorite chair. Soda, Steve, and Two-Bit volunteered to make dinner, and Darry reluctantly consented; Glory, I didn't even wanna think of what was gonna happen with _those_ three in the kitchen.

"He said he was gonna talk to Dally, but I was about to be late for school, so I couldn't make sure." I replied, my concern growing more and more with every second. Blast it, I shoulda made sure he was safe, or as safe as he would ever be, with Dally, or at least Two-Bit; maybe that would've given me some peace of mind today. I would've faced another one of Mr. Baxter's lectures if it meant making sure that Johnny was out of harm's way.

"Ah well, I hope he's alright, the poor kid gets into enough trouble already…" Darry shook his head sadly, echoing my thoughts. He reached forward to grab the TV remote, probably intent on watching the news or the Twilight Zone or something else that was on, when suddenly, a mini-explosion sounded from the kitchen.

"Oops!" Three familiar voices chorused, and Darry groaned. I could practically _see_ those fools grinning right now.

"Knew I shouldn't have left 'em in charge of the stove…" Darry mumbled ruefully under his breath, but I saw the corners of his mouth twitching slightly in amusement as he heaved himself out of his arm chair. Then, he schooled his expression into a cold, calm fury, and I knew there was going to be a _lot _of yelling in store for those three.

Ah, home sweet home…

* * *

_Earlier that Day With Johnny, But Not in His P.O.V._

Johnny had thought that the girls would be done with him after the make-over and all, but, in reality, they were _far_ from done. Soon after they had decided on his alias, "Juliet" (which he detested with a great passion, because personally, he had no fondness for Shakespeare, despite Ponyboy's liking of it, and that blasted name only served as a grim reminder of his ill fate), they decided to give him "girl" lessons.

"Kay, first of all hon, that ain't the way girls walk," Sylvia drawled, one hand on her hip while another one was clutching an ice-cold bottle of beer. There was laughter in her eyes, and Johnny resisted the urge to cuss under his breath. Wasn't wearing make-up and dressing in drag enough for these people?

"She's got a point," Evie chimed in, sitting on the couch next to Angela and Kathy. "I mean, you gotta be more _convincing_, else you'll blow your cover…"

"What's wrong with the way I walk?" Johnny asked incredulously, stopping short on his way to the couch to turn and look at Sylvia with disbelief.

"Nothin'. You just gotta walk like a chick from now on, not like a chump makin' his way back from the bar!" Sylvia snapped, taking Johnny's hands out of his pockets and making him get out of his slumped posture.

"I feel all… stiff," He finished lamely, feeling the urge to just slouch and put his hands back in his jacket pockets again.

After instructing him on the art of walking like a person of the female persuasion (which involved lots of strutting and _hip action_, much to his dismay), the crew of girls made him practice everything else involved with being as feminine as possible. After several hours of 'womanly lessons', it finally came time for them to develop his girl voice.

"Now, say 'she sells sea shells by the sea shore' three times fast without letting your voice break," Kathy urged, earning a smack on the head from Angela. "Ow!"

"Ain't no point in making him do that tongue-twister shit, ya dope," Angela said tartly, shaking her head like Kathy was a shame to her ancestors, "I swear, yer almost as bad as your fuck buddy…"

Johnny's face heated up at Two-Bit being referred to as Kathy's "fuck buddy"; turns out that he also ended up listening to girl talk all day. He knew a lot more about his friends now, more than he _should_ know, and Johnny didn't know whether to be totally disturbed, or totally fascinated.

"Hey, at least I ain't the one crushin' on Ponyboy!" Kathy retorted hotly, and Johnny's eyes widened with surprise. Wait, _what_?

Meanwhile, Angela almost looked ready to strangle the blonde. "Shut yer damn trap! I told you not to let that slip, especially to _him_!" she snarled fiercely, directing a glare at Johnny to emphasize her point.

"I-I'm so sorry Angela! For a second, I forgot that… 'she'… was a he," Kathy stammered apologetically, blue eyes downcast.

The silence that occurred shortly afterward was saturated with awkwardness. Johnny gulped, lost in his own thoughts, while Angela was still seething, and nobody else dared to say or do anything.

Angela? Crushing on _Ponyboy_?

Sweet merciful heavens.

'Oh no… What if she finds out about…' he thought, horror growing in the pit of his stomach. Kathy looked up and caught his eye, and he knew that she was thinking the same thing, too.

Finally, Evie broke the silence with an arbitrary cough. "Well, we'd best be goin' now; me, Sandy, and Sylvia hafta catch a movie in a couple of minutes, so…"

With that, the three aforementioned girls abruptly murmured their goodbyes, wishing Johnny good luck on his first evening of being a girl, and made their way out of the door as quickly as you could say "uncomfortable".

"... Well um, Ma will be home soon, so you guys gotta go," Kathy said sheepishly, still avoiding Angela's eyes.

Angela just grunted in reply, and stalked out of the front door. Something told Johnny that she was still pissed off about the Ponyboy thing.

"Bye," Johnny mumbled quietly to Kathy, and the blonde gave a small wave back to him as he followed after Angela.

A blast of cold air slapped him in the face, and he shivered, reluctantly grateful for the long wig warming his neck and the leather jacket covering his arms.

During their "lessons", the girls also formulated a plan for him. For now, he would stay at the Shepards' house, where Angela would lend him some make-up and other 'womanly supplies' (they had taught him the painstaking process of applying make-up and doing his hair, much to his chagrin), and in the morning, she would let him go free. After four weeks had passed, he would go back to Kathy's house, collect his 'ransom', and become Johnny Cade again. They were even prepared with all the paperwork and identification that he would need to transfer into school; Evie knew a guy who could forge documents expertly, free of charge (which was a wonder to Johnny, but he didn't think to ask how she came into acquaintance with somebody like _that_).

The only flaw in the plan was, where was Johnny going to stay after Angela let him go? Ponyboy's house was the only place he could think of, there was no way in the seven hells he would stay with his parents during these four weeks, and Lord knows he couldn't sleep in the abandoned lot- that would just be too suspicious.

"Why the long face, kid?" Angela grumbled, kicking a pebble off the sidewalk. Her long, curly hair swayed behind her back, and Johnny, much to his disbelief, grew envious.

'Envious? Envious of what?' he snorted to himself, squashing those thoughts before they could consume him. Despite his more-than-platonic feelings for Ponyboy, he knew there was no chance of his best friend ever finding any interest in him.

Angela Shepard was pretty, and confident, and, despite all the cussing and other less-than-legal things she did on a daily basis, she was actually pretty fun to be around if you knew her. She was everything that Johnny wasn't and more. Besides, it's not as if he could magically turn Ponyboy gay or something; it just wasn't plausible.

He snapped out of his thoughts as another sharp gust of wind bit at his red cheeks, and realized that Angela was looking at him with impatience as they walked.

"Oh, uh… Sorry, I didn't hear what you said," Johnny admitted sheepishly, causing Angela to roll her dark blue eyes.

"Ah, never mind, we're here anyway," she said, sounding annoyed. Johnny gulped, looking up at the Shepard house. It looked the same as the last time he'd been there, that one time, with Dally, a long while ago. There'd been a party, and Dally had dragged him along for some strange reason, but Johnny had left five minutes into the 'festivities'. Parties just weren't his thing, and not even Dally could convince him otherwise.

As soon as the two stepped through the door, an unfamiliar voice came from the kitchen to greet them, or more specifically, Angela.

"'Ey Angie, what took ya so long?" Johnny winced, trying to hide himself behind Angela. That voice sounded _really_ familiar.

'Curly!' Johnny suppressed the urge to groan; he had _hoped_ that her brothers wouldn't be home, but apparently, his hopes were in vain.

"None 'a yer damn business, Curly… and how many times do I gotta tell ya to stop callin' me Angie!" Angela bristled, although Johnny could see that this was as close as she could get to 'showing affection'.

"Geez, ya sure are touchy today, _Angie_…" Curly walked out of the kitchen, expecting to see his sister, but stopped short when he saw another person behind her. "Well well, who do we got here?" Curly's mouth formed a mischievous grin, looking at 'Juliet' from head to toe and back again. For some reason, _Johnny_ didn't like that look.

"Off limits to ya, so stop starin'," Angela retorted with a malicious smirk, before dragging Johnny upstairs by the wrist.

"'Ey, if yer ever lookin' for a good time, call me!" Curly winked in farewell, and Johnny's face felt as hot as a stovetop. Christ, he just got hit on by Curly freakin' Shepard. Johnny would never be able to see him the same way ever again.

"Don't pay attention to my idiot of a brother, he just has a likin' for… older women," Angela murmured in embarrassment, though Johnny could see that her shoulders were shaking and she was trying _very_ hard not to laugh.

"But I look younger than everybody, even _Ponyboy_…" Johnny mumbled to no one in particular, and Angela stiffened a bit at the mention of her crush's name.

"So, uh… You ain't gonna tell anyone 'bout that stupid crush thing, right?" Angela asked, trying to sound casual, but Johnny could detect a slight hint of strain on her voice.

He smiled, nervous yet reassuring at the same time. "Don't worry, yer secret's safe with me," Johnny promised, making Angela smile slightly back at him.

"Y'know, yer not as bad as I thought you'd be," she admitted shyly, and Johnny cracked another smile; he could say the same thing about her.

The two of them made a beeline for her room, and Angela closed the door behind them to make sure that Curly wouldn't hear them from downstairs.

"Okay, so here's everythin' that you'll need for four weeks. I've got plenty of this shit, so you don't needa worry 'bout payin' me back or nothin'," she explained, packing four weeks' worth of clothes in a bag (which wasn't really much, considering that Johnny wasn't picky and didn't mind wearing the same things per week) as well as make-up, another pair of heels and… a bunch of socks (ohohoho).

"Uh… Thanks, I guess…" Johnny uttered, not entirely sure whether he should thank her or not.

"But wait, can I… can I ask you something?" he asked timidly. Angela replied with a shrug, motioning for him to continue.

"… What's the whole point of dressin' me up like a girl, anyway?"

There was a pregnant pause. For a minute, Johnny almost thought that Angela had spaced out on him, but then, she finally answered, "That's… for us to know, and for you to find out," she said cryptically, giving him a wicked smirk.

His shoulders slumped visibly. Couldn't they at _least_ tell him what all of this was about? Was that too much to ask, damn it?

"Good luck, kid, don't let my brother put his hand down yer shirt on the way out,"

Johnny murmured grumpily under his breath as he left a laughing Angela behind, but made sure to stay well out of Curly's way as he exited their home.

So, armed with nothing but a bag of girl stuff and a skimpy outfit, he stepped out into the frigid afternoon, his mind weighed with worry and his feet set on a very familiar path.

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**Ending Note:** Ohhhh my cheese stick, the ending sucked so much. I apologize for the sucky quality of this chapter (again), I just can't seem to get anything right in my writing anymore.

Don't worry, although I have a tendency to drag things out (as seen in this chapter and the previous ones), 'Juliet' will meet the gang in the next chapter. I promise.

Well, this is it people. Feel free to drop a line [points down at the review button] and I'll see you guys when I decide to update. I mean, I'll try to update as soon as possible, I know how annoying it is to wait, but… well, I'm just a lousy hypocrite like that… Bye!


	4. Chapter 4

**Cross-Dressing Equals Fun?**

**By: **Ramen

**Disclaimer: **Hey, the only thing I own is a pet fish and twenty five cents in my ripped up, baggy sweat pants. How the heck could I own one of the most awesome books ever?

**A/N:** Hello my lovely ducklings! How are you this fine evening?~ I hope Thanksgiving was as enjoyable for everyone else as it was for me; it's the only time of the year when it's suitable for me to eat pecan pie. Anyways, on with Chapter Four…

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**[Chapter Four]**

_A Jaw-Dropping Turn of Events_

_Johnny's P.O.V._

'Christ, I _can't_ do this…'

I stared at the Curtis house with wide eyes, peering pathetically through the leaves of a random, untamed bush that grew on the side of their yard. I must've looked nine kinds of weird, squattin' there and starin' into their window like a crazy person that was ready to rob them of everything they owned.

I cursed under my breath, moving my legs around once or twice, trying to get into a more comfortable position; these heels were _killin'_ me, and man, how did greaser girls deal with wearing these freakishly tight pants on a daily basis? I never knew that I could miss my ratty old blue jeans and worn-out sneakers as much as I did now.

From my view of the window, I could see Ponyboy, Two-Bit, and Darry sitting 'round the TV. Pony and Two-Bit were laughing like fools over something, I don't know what, but even _Darry_ cracked a smile. Whatever it was, it must've been hilarious.

Meanwhile, Soda and Steve were in a staring contest, for some odd reason. Both of their eyes were starting to get all red and teary, and I _swear_ I could see the veins bulging in Steve's eyeball from where I was watching [1].

I was starting to feel kinda sad- I wanted more than anything to be with them all right now, laughing right along with Pony, but instead, I was roped up in a mess that I wished I _could_ get out of, but couldn't. It was like God was angry with me or something. I really _hate_ Ponyboy for making me queer [2].

It was then that I noticed something was missing from the picture. At first, I had no idea what that something was, but then it hit me; where was Dally?

'Probably at Buck's or whatever,' I shrugged to myself, getting ready to stand up. I was ready, man, I could _do_ this. All I needed to do was ask Darry if I could-

"The fuck you doin' sneakin' 'round here, little missy?"

Shit. I _knew_ that voice.

Okay, I ain't gonna lie; I was about a _hair _away from screamin' like a dumb broad (which, I admit, would fit this scenario perfectly), but instead, I settled on just shakin' like a leaf.

My jaw wouldn't budge. I tried to say something, _anything_, but nothing came out. I must've looked dumb, standing there and starin' at him, my mouth open like a fish outta water. My heart was pounding like _crazy. _It was so loud, I almost thought that he could hear it, too, but I knew that all _Dally_ could hear were those strange, gargling noises that I managed to make past that huge bump in my throat.

Oh God, I suddenly remembered how Dally treated girls that he didn't know, and right now, I would've given _anything_ to be Johnny again, instead of Juliet.

* * *

_Normal P.O.V._

"Geez, what're ya, a _hooker_? Looks like you're _used_ to leavin' yer mouth open," Dally had a small smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the torment that he was causing this strange girl, but he also noticed how familiar those big, dark eyes were…

Johnny snapped his mouth shut so hard, the top and bottom rows of his teeth bumped painfully together and made an audible clacking noise. His face could put a cherry tomato to shame, and mentally, he berated himself for blushing like a little school girl who had just given Valentine's chocolates to the object of her affections.

After a _painfully_ awkward silence, Johnny cleared his throat (in a feminine way, mind you), and said, "U-Um, I… I-I needed a place to stay, and…" Despite himself, Johnny tried his best to look as pitiful as possible. And God damn, it worked like a charm; I mean, sometimes, he could even hear Ponyboy talking to himself while he was writing some sort of essay or something, and he swore that he heard the words "kicked", "puppy", and his name in the same sentence, and now that he looked back on it, he wasn't far from the mark at all.

Dally snorted, raising an eyebrow with disbelief. Weren't greaser girls supposed to be _tougher_ than this? This girl looked like one, but she sure didn't _act_ like one, unless greaser girls suddenly decided to act like bumbling messes that couldn't even formulate a coherent sentence. Guess you shouldn't believe in stereotypes, huh?

"That so? Who the hell are ya, anyway?" he asked, pinning Johnny with a 'don't-you-dare-lie-to-me' stare.

"I, uh… M-My name is J-Juliet…" Johnny bit his lip again (God, it was starting to chap). He almost said Johnny. Oh sweet, crispy crap, he won't be able to last long at this rate!

"Okay, J-Juliet," Dally said in a mock-stuttering tone, then continued, "Tell me why you ain't got a place to stay, and don't bullshit me either," he demanded.

Mentally, Johnny rehearsed his alibi. The girls had gone over it with him so many times; he knew it like the back of his hand.

"I-I ran away from home… Um, my uncle… H-He hits me, and I-I couldn't take it no more, so I just ran away to the place farthest away from him… A-And I don't have any relatives s-so I…" Then to Johnny's mortification, Dally put a finger to his lipstick- clad lips to shush him (geez, he and Sylvia had a lot more in common than just a potty mouth).

"Alright, alright, enough'a yer sob story," Dally scoffed, pulling his index finger away and wiping the pink crud off of it on his jacket. Johnny frown, but he wasn't surprised; he didn't expect Dally to sympathize with him, especially with that corny alibi (which, albeit the running away part, wasn't that far from his actual life). "Leave and don't come back, the Curtises have to deal with a bunch'a shit already without _you_ adding to it." He spat the word 'you' out like it was a foul poison, but, unless Johnny was seeing things, he saw a 'blink-and-you-miss-it' flash of guilt flicker in his blue eyes.

With that, the older boy turned to leave, but stopped short when he saw Ponyboy standing there, green-gray eyes wide with surprise.

"Dal…" the fourteen year old trailed off, looking conflicted. Dally held up his hand.

"I already know what yer gonna say kid, and I'm tellin' ya, it ain't a good idea to let this girl stay here," he said with a tone of finality in his voice.

"But Dal!"

"_Look_, we don't even know this broad, and d'ya think Darry would 'ppreciate another person in the house to look after?" the blonde countered, and Ponyboy closed his mouth. Damn, he should've known better than to argue with Dally.

"Look, it's okay, really, I'll just… Find 'nother place," Johnny spoke, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Inside, he was grinning so brightly, he could outshine a thousand Christmas trees; Ponyboy had stuck up for _him_… Well, for 'Juliet', rather, but who the hell bothered with technicalities anyway?

"You can stay," The three of them turned to the window at the sound of _another_ voice. Darry was looking out at the three of them, an amused expression on his face. Johnny had completely forgotten that they were in front of a window in the first place [3]. "But on three conditions; one, you have to _swear_ that you're not up to any robbery or anything like that,"

Johnny opened his mouth to reassure him that, no, of course he wasn't planning to steal anything, but Darry continued on uninterrupted, "Two, please, for the love of God, don't spend too much time in the bathroom [4], and three… hope you don't mind having eggs for dinner for five days outta the week,"

Johnny could've run up to Darry and kissed him right now, but for the sake of decency, he held himself back.

"Deal!" he agreed eagerly, without hesitating. Ponyboy was smiling right now, and Johnny couldn't help but do the same. Dally, however, was looking less than pleased.

"Don't come cryin' to me when yer TV goes missing or whatever…" the blonde murmured sourly under his breath, before turning and trudging into the house.

"C'mon," Ponyboy turned to Johnny and urged for him to follow. Johnny complied, trailing behind Pony as they entered through the front door.

"Guys," Everyone in the room except for Dally turned to Ponyboy at that single word. "This is Juliet. She'll be stayin' with us for a bit," he introduced, stepping aside so that 'Juliet' was out in the open.

_Johnny_ gulped, forcing his voice to not quiver, "Hi," he said softly, his voice a few octaves higher than even his _girl_ voice.

Naturally, Soda was the first one to step up to him. "The name's Sodapop Curtis, nice to meet ya! I'd never forgive ya if you forgot my name," the golden-haired boy grinned, clasping Johnny's hand in a hearty handshake. Johnny couldn't help but grin back; Ponyboy wasn't lying when he said that Soda could make anyone grin.

"Hey, I'm Steve," the black-haired greaser introduced himself curtly, and Johnny didn't have enough time to exchange pleasantries with the intimidating guy before Two-Bit suddenly (and rudely) stepped in between them.

"Well howdy there, Juliet, m' name's Two-Bit!" the rusty-haired young man winked at him. Johnny raised a (plucked?) eyebrow in return, feigning surprise at Two-Bit's strange name like everybody else did, to avoid suspicion for his nonchalance, and of course, Two-Bit just _had_ to elaborate.

"That's just a nickname I go by, but everyone, even my ma, calls me Two-Bit," he explained proudly, causing Dally and Steve to simultaneously roll their eyes.

Deciding that Two-Bit had had _more_ than enough time to introduce himself, Darry finally spoke up. "Juliet, why don't I show ya your new room?" he suggested.

"Oh, um, s-sure," Johnny nodded in agreement, glad for the excuse to get away from the living room. Two-Bit started complaining about how Darry didn't let him finish telling the story, but Ponyboy soon pacified him with a slice of Soda's famous, cavity-causing chocolate cake.

'Meeting' the gang again was a strange feeling, and generally, he didn't like being the center of attention at all. Unintentionally, he let his mind wander as Darry led him to Soda's old room. How in the seven hells was he going to pull this off? Sure, he had all the documents, all the make-up and the alibi and everything else, but what he didn't know was how he was going to cover the disappearance of Johnny Cade, just at the time of Juliet Callison's sudden appearance. At this rate, he would be found out, and Ponyboy wouldn't even wanna touch him with a ten foot pole after Kathy leaked his secret to the entire world.

Before Johnny could go deeper into his thoughts, he snapped out of his reverie when he bumped into Darry's back (though it felt more like bumping into a brick wall to Johnny). He was so distracted; he didn't even notice that they were in front of Soda's old room already.

"Sorry!" Johnny somehow prevents his voice from squeaking, and he swears he can see Darry's shoulders shaking from silent laughter as he opens the door.

Johnny steps in after him, and he looks around. Everything was fairly clean- after all, Darry was no stranger to tidying the house thanks to those government workers that came around every so often. It was fairly empty; Soda had transferred most of his possessions to Ponyboy's room when they started to share it.

He's so busy observing the room that he fails to notice Darry closing the door behind them. Johnny furrows his eyebrows in confusion; he didn't like the way Darry was staring at him, all cold, and calculating. It was like the man was trying to bury into his soul or something.

"Um, i-is there something…?" Johnny's breath hitches in his throat and he isn't able to finish his sentence, because Darry's suddenly leaning into his face, staring hard into his eyes. Johnny stared back at him, at his pale blue eyes, and he saw something _strange _flicker in them. "D-Darry…?"

"Care to tell me the reason why you're in girl's clothes, Johnny?" Darry questions bluntly, and it takes Johnny a few moments to register his words before the color drains from his face.

Wait… _what?_

_

* * *

_

[1] Is this even possible? If so, it sounds terribly painful.

[2] Sorry if the word 'queer' offends anyone, the Outsiders takes place in the 60's after all, and I don't think it was uncommon for people to be offensive to homosexuality back then.

[3] Holy. Shit. That _rhymed!_

[4] (Sigh) Sorry, I just had to include a sexist joke in there xD

Ending Note: DUN DUN DUN! … Man, what a sucky cliffhanger! I had you going there with the whole implied "Darry rapes Johnny" thing, huh? [Crickets] No? Just me...?

Anyway, I apologize if the meeting with the greasers was out of character/not exciting; I tried my best to make them stay in character, but I'm terrible at characterization so… please don't hurt me.

Just a random question to throw out there but… who here is obsessed with Glee? 'Cause I am, which is why it took me so long to update!

Oh, and, I'm borrowing this idea shamelessly from somebody else (from _the milk bottle_, an author on fictionpress who wrote the story 'Quinntessential'- it's a really great story; I think you should check it out!); just in case you don't know what to say in a review or something, just copy and paste this:

To Ramen,

Why the hell are you taking so long to update? Hm? Why are you choosing _Glee_ over us? Are we not good enough for you? Well, I'll have you know that your characterization needs work, and also, STOP DRAGGING EVERYTHING OUT WOMAN; we want you to get to the good stuff already! Geez!

Your irritated, ramen-hating friend

_your name_

Well, anyway. Reviews are appreciated, and so is constructive criticism. In fact, that's _greatly_ appreciated.


	5. Chapter 5

**Cross-Dressing Equals Fun?**

**By:** Ramen

**Disclaimer:** There are _many_ things I wish I owned, reader. Like, for example, Bruno Mars's song titles and the Outsiders… But then, everybody would complain, because there'd be way more slash in the Outsiders than necessary [wink]. Unfortunately, the only things I own are my OC's and my crappy writing style…

_A/N:_ Okay, I _am _putting OC's in here! Oh come on, wipe that mortified look off your face- they're _not_ going to be paired with any canon characters! And if they are, then they will be very minor canon characters, but we'll just have to see as the story progresses. On to Chapter Five, my darlings!

Oh, and I'm going to start using song names for my titles! Hope that doesn't tick anybody off…

* * *

**[Chapter Five]**

_I Think I Wanna Marry You_

To say that Johnny was shell-shocked was the understatement of the _century_. His eyes, which were wide enough before, now resembled big, black saucers.

A case of the stutters overtook him again.

"I, uh… W-What are you talking about? Who's Johnny?"

The laugh that came after that denial was strangled and awkward; Johnny was _horrible_ at lying.

Darry bit his lip, trying not to smile with amusement. If anything, that would only serve to embarrass the boy even further.

"To be honest, it took me a while to realize it was you… You _really_ look like a girl," Darry chuckled, then immediately regretted the words that came out of his mouth when he saw the flustered look on Johnny's face. Oh yeah, _that_ made him feel much better.

Darry cleared his throat nervously, "Anyway… Why are you dressed like a girl, Johnny?" he repeated. It was obvious that Johnny was desperate to keep himself incognito; the only thing Darry wanted to know was why.

Johnny murmured something in reply. He looked like he was confessing to a federal crime.

"What?"

"Girls… diary… makeover…" Those were the only words that Darry could make out. He barely resisted the urge to shake Johnny's shoulders with frustration.

"Look kid, I won't tell anyone. No matter how bad it is." he promised sincerely, looking Johnny straight in the eye. The younger of the two remained silent, breaking away from his gaze. As he turned, Darry could swear that his bottom lip was trembling.

Finally, after a silence that seemed to stretch on forever, Johnny began his unfortunate tale. He had to restrain himself from running away as he told Darry about… the reason. Darry, however, didn't even bat an eyelash, and patiently waited for Johnny to finish his story.

Once he did, Johnny waited for Darry's reaction with dread, prepared to get a furious lecture about the sins of homosexuality. He felt dirtier than scum, and twice as guilty; he knew that being gay was practically labeled as a 'disease'. He'd heard stories about guys and girls alike getting kicked out of their homes and being avoided like the plague after they had 'come out of the closet', and Johnny didn't want to be another one of those stories.

"So let me get this straight," Darry uttered skeptically, shattering the painful silence in an instant. "The gang's girlfriends forced you to dress up like a girl, because one of them black-mailed you with the knowledge of your… preferences?" The word 'preferences' sounded awkward and uncomfortable when he said it. Johnny felt a wave of nausea hit him. He knew Darry wouldn't understand.

"N-Not that I mind or anything," Darry blurted out hastily upon seeing the shameful look on Johnny's face. "Not at all, I mean… It's strange, but… well, I could never hate you, especially not for _that_," Darry smiled, patting Johnny's shoulder in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. It seemed to work, because Johnny gave him a watery smile of his own.

The teen honestly felt overwhelmed with emotion; he was so sure that he would get shunned by Darry once he confessed his sexuality, but it turned out that Darry was more accepting than he thought.

And who could blame him for thinking that way? Darry seemed so strict, and his eyes looked so _cold_… Johnny didn't peg him as the type of person who could be so open to the idea of someone being gay, much less _him_.

Of course, Johnny thought guiltily, he _had_ to leave out the part about him liking Ponyboy. He knew that wouldn't sit well with Darry, who was already overprotective enough about his youngest brother as it is. Johnny could only imagine how _that_ would turn out: _'Well, there you have it, I'm gay. Oh, and, on top of that, did I mention that I wanna kiss the living daylights out of your youngest brother? His eyes are just too pretty for me to resist!' _

"Well, how long do you have to stay… a girl?" Darry questioned. Saying that out loud was as weird as _thinking_ it. Not that the boy wasn't effeminate already; he was certainly smaller than everybody, and his facial features were far from rough and masculine. Manly faces certainly didn't have wide, black eyes framed by long eyelashes and full, pink lips, accompanied with a delicate nose and a slightly tanned complexion.

"I don't know exactly, they said a few weeks," Johnny answered, and then sheepishly added, "By the way, thanks for lettin' me stay here…"

Darry shrugged, and Johnny suddenly noticed how broad his shoulders were. "'S okay kid, I should'a let you stay here in the first place," he replied casually, a bit of guilt creeping into his voice.

Johnny knew that the older man was thinking about the numerous times he'd had to sleep outside among piles of garbage after a rough night at home, and due to Darry being swamped with work and bills all the time, Johnny couldn't bring himself to impose upon him, despite Ponyboy's many reassurances.

Johnny shook his head in disagreement. "No need to trouble yourself," he pointed out, "You've got enough on your hands already,"

Darry heaved a monumental sigh and the pain in his back, which he had gained from carrying two bundles of roofing at a time at work today, suddenly came back full force. As if he needed anymore reminders about his less-than-pleasant life.

Johnny coughed awkwardly. He knew he had said the wrong thing, so he decided to change the subject.

"Shouldn't we go out now? They're probably wonderin' what's takin' us so long,"

Darry nodded in reply, and the two walked out of the room after Johnny had set his bags down on the bed. He'd have to unpack everything later.

"I'll get dinner ready," Darry announced, immediately disappearing into the kitchen when he heard the sound of clanging pots. Unfortunately, the 'three stooges' decided to make another attempt at cooking, resulting in Darry shouting at them all at the top of his lungs.

Johnny winced at the sound of Two-Bit's yelp along with a few crashes and bangs, and sat down on the couch next to Ponyboy. Johnny wisely kept his distance from the fourteen year-old. He wasn't interested in watching the Paul Newman movie that was currently being played on TV, though Ponyboy seemed engrossed in it (he was always engrossed, whether it be in a book or a movie or what have you), so he occupied himself by tugging at his jacket sleeves.

All of a sudden, Johnny felt a burning stare piercing the back of his head. He turned his head sideways, and from the corner of his eye, he saw Dally giving him the most intense glare he'd ever received in his life. Just as quickly as he'd turned around, he swiveled his head back to the TV, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He didn't like that look, it was the same look Darry had given him back in Soda's room, but this time its intensity was increased tenfold.

'Why's he lookin' at me like that?' Johnny thought to himself, getting ready to hyperventilate from the sheer panic he was feeling at that moment. He could still feel those cold blue eyes, which were entirely focused on him with no regard for subtlety.

"Juliet?" Johnny almost gasped at the sound of Ponyboy's voice. He turned to the brown-haired boy, who had turned away from the flickering screen to look at him with a concerned expression.

"Yeah?" Johnny nearly squeaked, but somehow, he managed to keep his voice steady.

"You okay?"

'_Oh, of course I'm alright Ponyboy. I'm just dandy- except for the fact that Dally is giving me the glare of death right now, and you being so close is making my mind all fuzzy, but other than that, everything's just hunky dory!' _Johnny resisted the urge to voice his rude thoughts out loud, so instead he replied with a, "I-I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

As if he had uttered a spell, the intense gaze was finally lifted from him like a subsiding fog. Johnny mentally breathed a sigh of relief; he didn't know how long he could have lasted with that look focused on him any longer.

"Oh, well… okay," Ponyboy said reluctantly, the worried look not leaving his face. They both turned away from each other, Johnny looking down at his lap and Ponyboy turning his attention back to the TV as a semi-awkward silence descended upon them.

Ponyboy gnawed at his bottom lip, gray-green eyes entirely glued to the colorful screen in an attempt to distract himself. He wanted to ask Juliet so many questions, but at the same time, he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. She was so mysterious; Pony was smart enough to know that that "uncle" excuse was a mere sham. The question was, why did she lie?

'I'm sure she has her reasons,' he reassured himself, but was still doubtful.

"Guys, dinner's ready!" At the sound of Darry's voice, Ponyboy shot up and ran to the kitchen, much to Johnny's bewilderment.

'Guess he's hungry…' Johnny laughed to himself as he was once again reminded of his friend's voracious appetite. It was a wonder how he managed to be so slim, yet eat like a starved hyena at the same time, but maybe being a star on the track team had something to do with it.

* * *

Dinner in the Curtis' house was always a rowdy affair, and tonight was no exception.

Johnny ducked, barely avoiding the fork that Soda 'accidentally' threw at her.

"Christ, sorry Juliet! I was aimin' for Two-Bit!" He apologized between bouts of laughter, then proceeded to yelp in an undignified manner as he dodged the knife that Two-Bit chucked at his head. The rusty-haired eighteen year old smirked smugly, but let out an indignant squawk when Darry whapped him upside the head with a random newspaper.

"Stop your fooling around before you poke somebody's damn eye out!" Darry growled, then murmured under his breath, "Geez, it's like I'm dealin' with _five year olds_ here…"

Johnny hid a wide smile behind his napkin; it felt good to be here again. 'But technically, _you're_ not here- Juliet is,' the smile turned into a frown, and Johnny sighed, picking sulkily at his mashed potatoes.

He only hoped that school wouldn't be horrible tomorrow.

* * *

Ending Note: Ohhhh that was a sucky ending, but, I've got an explanation for everyone.

I'm discontinuing this story.

I know, I'm sorry; but I've grown less and less fond of the Outsiders lately, and I'm afraid my well of inspiration for this fic has dried up for good. But who knows; maybe someday, I might continue it again if no one adopts it, but honestly, I doubt it... x.x

Thank you for everyone that has read this story! Really, you guys are awesome, and I'm sorry that I'm cancelling on such short notice.

If anybody wishes to adopt this story, then PM me!

Well… I guess that's it! It's been a load of fun, and I wish you guys happy reading here on this wonderful site!


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